Cannes Yacht Watch



Geek-billionaire Paul Allen's "Octopus." (image via smh)

Cannes is not just the largest and most prestigious international film festival, it is also a venue where geek-billionaires create little arenas of private pleasure on their superyachts. But is this the year Cannes jumps the shark with wretched fucking excess? Sundance, admittedly a lower scale affair, forever lost it's indie cool when, in 2006, the schwag reached epic proportions. Interestingly, Vanity Fair's annual black tie ball held Saturday is being overshadowed by some of these superyacht parties. From the LATimes Blog:

"Friday night’s gathering on Allen’s massive boat had more A-list names than even the swankest Hollywood premieres, and any number of incredibly rich men with incredibly young girlfriends.

"Ferries shuttled guests to Allen’s 301-foot Tatoosh (only 100 feet shorter than his other mega-yacht, the Octopus) all through the night, and when revelers climbed aboard at 3 a.m., Allen, a dedicated guitar nut, was fronting his band. As Allen blasted out Neil Young’s 'Rockin’ in the Free World,' U2’s Bono worked the orchid-decorated lower decks.

"The guests included Sean Penn, head of the Cannes jury, and fellow juror Natalie Portman, who chatted with George Lucas.

"By the boat’s lap pool (whose bottom was raised to make a reflecting pool filled with rose blossoms), Brad Pitt talked with Edward Norton and 'Children of Men' director Alfonso Cuaron. Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson and supermodel Petra Nemcova (who briefly fell out of the top of her outfit) were also on hand.

"The Microsoft co-founder’s party attracted a flotilla of industry moguls, including Barry Diller, Brad Grey and Stacey Snider."

Flavio Briatore, you'll remember, is the modelizing, billionaire oily businessman-race car driver that is the biological father of Leni, Heidi Klum's first child. According to Klum, Briatore is not involved in the child's life. From the yachts at Cannes via The Mirror:

"LILY ALLEN is making an almighty splash in Cannes. She was booted off Formula 1 boss FLAVIO BRIATORE’s yacht after some spectacular boozy behaviour. Lil ripped off her bikini top and threw herself off the side of the boat in a moment of drunken excitement. The crew had to fish her out of the Med because she looked like she was about to drown. Once she was back on board red-faced Flavio covered her up with her dress because he was embarrassed by her inappropriate antics. Then she was told, in no uncertain terms, it might be best to retire for the evening."

And at the yachts via Foxnews:

"

It’s not easy for Joaquin (Phoenix), who appears here for the third time in a film directed by James Gray. Nevertheless, Phoenix shrugged off his Cannes promo duties this year, citing 'dehydration' or 'exhaustion' depending on whom you asked.

"...On Monday, Mick Jagger and Harrison Ford lunched together at the Eden Roc, amid loads of executives including departing New Line Cinema founders Michael Lynne and Bob Shaye. Jagger and Harrison made lunch plans two nights earlier at the Vanity Fair party.

"Monday night found both Jude Law and Sean Penn reveling in female attention at the Hotel Martinez bar, the new post-1 a.m. hangout on the Croisette. Head juror Penn was busy having a serious talk with a posse of beautiful but hard-looking blondes — meaning smart ones — said to be in hedge funds from Los Angeles.

"The dolled group with tired eyes and blotted mascara had just decamped from the annual Chopard gala at the Carlton Hotel, where 'Into the Wild' was a reference to the bar lines.

"...Meanwhile, Christian Slater was one of many stars and socialites who turned up on Ronald Perelman’s boat the Ultima III for annual cocktails and dinner. Slater — with girlfriend Tamara Mellon — spent the night accepting congrats on his new NBC series.

"... Also seen on the Perelman yacht: Brett Ratner, Harvey Weinstein, Denise Rich, Vivi Nevo and Ziyi Zhang.

"... Brad Pitt stopped by Paul Allen’s yacht party the other night, sans Angelina Jolie — only because she didn’t need the seasick ride out to the yacht on a tender. ..."

Much, much more here. And from The Telegraph:

"At the Eden Roc hotel in Antibes, half an hour away, Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford are having coffee on the terrace while Dustin Hoffman watches his two children frolic in the pool. Cate Blanchett, unfeasibly svelte three months after giving birth, coos over her new baby, while on Paul Allen's 416ft mega-yacht Octopus, just visible, Brad and Angelina are no doubt discussing how many more babies to adopt over the pains au chocolat.

"The festival is still revving up, with most of the buzz reserved for tomorrow night's premiere of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Already, though, the old port is bunged-up with yachts so grotesque that they look like refrigerators. The real plutocrats – Allen; Revlon boss Ron Perelman; designer Roberto Cavalli; rap mogul P Diddy – choose either to moor at sea, or, like George Clooney and Bruce Willis, sail in from St Tropez, where they stay at the ultra-luxurious Byblos hotel."

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